Compressor supporting platform fob



Sept 16, 1952 G. HART 2,610,787

COMPRESSOR -SUPPORTING PLATFORM i FOR TRACTORS OR OTHER VEHICLES FiledApril 11, 195o 2 SHEETS-swzm 1 /zagr. y. 60 7.38.5

Sept. 16, 1952 G. L. HART coMPREssoR SUPPORTING PLATFORM FOR TRACTORS 0ROTHER VEHICLES Filed April 11, 1950 2 Sl'lEETS-Sl-IEET 2 Jil/@dort AGeary@ Z2 'Jar/ Q PM IMII R www; f n v A.

Patented Sept. 16, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE'.l l

COMPRESSOR SUPPORTING PLATFORM FOR TRACTORS OR OTHER `VEHICLES George L.Hart, Providence,Ky. Application April 11, 1950,*'seria1 10.155.281 1oClaims. (ol. 23o-235) In my prior Patent (No. 2,271,821, I havedisclosed a tractor or other vvehicle having on one end adrillingapparatus and on the`other end a projectingk platformf for supportingranair compressor to supply pneumatic 'power' for'operating such apparatus.Since `the compressor is driven from an engine on the vehicle,-variousproblems arise in theeilort to provide a platform which is simple,sturdy and readily attachable to a `vehicle, and at the same time willalign the compresser shaft with a driving shaft therefor on the vehicle.

The object of the present invention is to produce an attachable platformstructure by which the desirable ends `just enumeratedA are. achieved.

The various features of' novelty whereby the present invention ischaracterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in theclaims, but for a full understanding of the invention and of its objectsand advantages, reference may be had to the following detaileddescription taken in connection with the raccompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is mainly a plan `view of a platform structure, portion beingin section, and a fragment of a compressor mounted thereon being alsoincluded; Fig.v v2 is a view, of the parts shown in Fig. 1, that ispartly a side elevation and Vpartly a central, vertical, longitudinal'section, `with the Acoupling between a ydriving shaft and the compressorshaft shown in position;` and Fig. 3 is an end View, looking at thestructure from a point to the left of Fig. 2, with Vall of thecompressor except its shaft omitted, and that `shaft being shown'incross section.

Referring to the drawings, I vis a flat-lying U-shaped frame composed oftwo sturdy parallel, longitudinal side beams 2 and 3 connected togetherat oneend by -a cross beam 4; these beams lpreferably being hollow andsquare in cross section. Horizontal gussets '5, 5, 'extending across thecorners vformed at Ythe intersections of the aforesaid beams, stiffenthe frame. The other ends of beams 2 and 3 Aabut against and are weldedto a thick, vertical, transverse plate 6 that is parallel to cross beam4. This'plate extends about an equal distance above and below the beams.inwardly from plate 6 is a second.

Ythick plate l'i parallel to plate 6, and lyingl wholly between thebeams 2 and 3,`whereas plate 6 projects laterally beyond bothlongitudinal beams. Vertical posts 8 and 9, that'may `be of the samecross section as the beams 2 rand 3, reston these beams, respectively,with their inner faces flush embodying the present invention, a

with the inner face of plate 1; these posts 'beingl welded to thecorresponding beams. Between the vertical edges of plate 1 and 'beams 2and 3 are long, wide plates I0, I0 that extend up from about the levelof the lunder sides of `these beams to a height well above the upperedge of plate 1, which form the inner and outer walls of said box-likestructure; these plates also bridging the gap between plates Band 1.Plates I0, I0 .are welded to the longitudinal beams, to 'the posts andto plates 6 and l. Little, horizontal plates II I I, each surroundedwelded to plates 6 and 1 and a plate ID, aid in stiifening this box-likestructure at the end of the platform. Plates 6 and 1 are Vfurthersecured to each other, `and to the frame, by sturdy braces I2, I2 thatunderlie the right hand two thirds of the beams `2 and 3, as viewed inFig. 2, each be ing welded tothe corresponding beam, at its 'inner end,and 'extending downwardly and toward the right past the vertical edgesof plate 1 and to lplate 6; each brace being Welded to both of thevlatter plates.

vThe posts l8 rand 9 may rise to any desired height and serve to supportsome part of the powerv plant. yIn the -arrangement shown, the posts areintended to support a cylindrical reservoir, (not shown) for air underpressure. Therefore each `post has fixed to its upper end a sturdy restI3 provided with an arcuate seat I4 for a cylinder placed crosswise ofthe frame.

The frame is provided with a cross bar at the inner ends of the'bracesl2. In the arrangement shown, this comprises a long, narrow plate i5that vliesrwell below beams 2 and 3, with spacing blocks I6, I6 betweenthe same and the beams. Underlying plate I5 is an angle bar I1, one ofthe flanges of which lies flat against the under lside of the platewhile the other flange forms a vertical 'stiiening web for the plate.Plate- I5 serves as a support for one end of an air compressor C, theother end of which is supported by plate 1, as will now be explained.

' lit will be seen that plate 1 contains a large, round opening I8 thecenter; of which is a short distance above the plane of the tops ofbeams 2 and 3. This opening is provided with a round cover plate I9,held in place by a ring of small bolts 20. In order that the bolts needactl only as tension members, the opening I8 is countersunk on the innerside, namely the left hand side in Fig. 2, at 2l, and the'cover plate iscut away along the margin to create a lip 22 thatis seated inthecountersunk section of opening I8, while the central, thicker part ofthe plate fits snugly on three sides by andr into the main part of theopening or bore. With this arrangement the cover may be snugly fittedand accurately centered, independently of the bolts which need only holdthe cover plate against axial movement. The end of the compressorresting on cross piece i 5 may be anchored by means of bolts, not shown,extending up into the same through holes 23 in the cross piece.

The end of the compressor housing from which its shaft 24 protrudes hasa sleeve-like part or hub 25 machined to bear solidly against the faceof the cover plate; while the cover plate is provided with an accuratelymachined annular projection or boss 26 fitting into said sleeve or hub25, to insure accurate centering. Bolts 21, passing through the coverplate andinto part 25 of the compressor casing, prevent relative axialmovements between the cover plate and the compressor casing and are thussubjected to tensile stresses only. Parts 25 contains the local bearing28 for the compressor shaft.

One of the difficulties encountered when a compressor, mounted on anattachment to a. vehicle frame, must be driven from a shaft mounted onthe vehicle itself, is to achieve satisfactory alignment between drivingand driven shafts. In my improved construction the compresser shaft 24extends freely through a central opening 19a in cover plate I9 andterminates Within the space between the two plates 6 and 1, as shown inFig. 1; and means are provided accurately to locate the driving shaft,with its end extending into this same space.

It will be seen that plate 6 contains a round opening 29, smaller thanopening I8 and coaxial therewith. In the space between plates 6 and 1,and extending from plate 6 around shaft 24 almost to thefiywheel 30 onthe latter, is a housing 3|. This housing has an elongated hub portion32 that extends through and is an accurate fit in opening 29. Bolts 34secure the housing rigidly to plate 6. Here, again, the bolts act simplyas tension members to prevent relative axial movements between twomembers secured together thereby. The long hub 32 provides asatisfactory bearing for the driving shaft 35 which is coupled to thecompressor shaft, within said housing, in any suitable manner.

The two shafts are compelled to be in perfect alignment. In practice,the rear face of the tractor housing (not shown) is accurately machinedwith a pilot hole concentric with the driving shaft. The hub 32 extendsinto and fits in this pilot hole, and suitable bolts, not shown, extendinto the tractor housing through bolt holes 36 in portions 3T of plate 6that project outwardly beyond the sides of the platform proper. Sinceplate E is also accurately machined the bolting of the platformstructure to the tractor housing is all that is needed to insure propel`alignment of the driving and driven shafts.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a singlevform. of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exactdetails thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all formsand arrangementsthat come within the definitions of my inventionconstituting the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a platform having at one end an upright structureincluding two transverse, parallel, vertical plates spaced apart fromeach other lengthwise of the platform, the inner plate containing alarge round opening, a detachable cover member provided with a centralhole and having a part fitted in said opening, an apparatus resting onthe platform and having a driven shaft extending through said hole inthe cover member, the said apparatus having a sleeve-like hubsurrounding and coaxial with said shaft, a boss on the cover platefitting into the end of the hub, the outer plate having an openingcoaxial with the opening in the other plate, and a detachable devicearranged in the space between said platesand having a part fittingtightly in said opening in the outer plate, said detachable deviceconstituting a bearing for an incoming driving shaft aligned with saidapparatus shaft.

2. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the outer verticalplate projects from both sides of the platform and is provided in theprojecting portions with openings to receive fastenings for securing theplatform to a vehicle frame.

3. In combination, a platform having at one end an upright structureincluding two transverse, parallel vertical plates spaced apart fromeach other lengthwise of the platform, the inner plate containing alarge round opening, a cover plate provided with a central hole andhaving a part fitted in said opening, boltsholding the cover member insaid opening, an apparatus resting on the platform and having a drivenshaft extending through said hole in the cover member and terminating inthe space between said plates, said apparatus having a sleeve-like hubsurrounding and coaxial with said shaft, a boss on the cover memberfitting into the end of the hub, bolts extending through the covermember into the hub, the outer of said plates containing a centralopeningcoaxial with that in the inner plate; and a detachable casing inthe space between said plates surrounding' the protruding end of thedriven shaft, having a part fitting in the opening in the outer plateand forming a bearing for supporting a driving shaft in alignment withthe driven shaft.

4. A platform structure for attachment to a vehicle frame comprising afiat-lying rigid U- shaped frame, vertical posts fixed to and risingfrom the free ends of the longitudinal side members of the frame, abox-like structure, including ltwo vertical, transverse plates spacedapart from each other lengthwise of said longitudinal side memberswelded to the latter and to the posts, the two verticalplates containinglarge coaxial openings, a detachable cover member having a part fittingsnugly into the opening in the inner of said vertical plates andprovided with means t0 interlock with a stationary part of an apparatusadapted to be supported inwardly from said inner plate and provided witha shaft to be driven, and a detachable bearing member in the spacebetween the vertical plates for supporting an incoming driving shaft inalignment with the aforesaid shaft, said bearing device having a partfitting snugly in the opening in the outer of said vertical plates.

5. A platform structure as set forth in claim 4. wherein the outer ofthe two vertical plates projects beyond both sides of the platform andhas, in the projecting portions, holes to receive means to fasten theplatform to a support.

6. A platform structure as set forth in claim 4 having, in addition, across member between the side members of and remote from both ends ofthe frame, to support one end of a compressor, and diagonal braces fixedto said side members near said cross member and extending downwardly andlongitudinally past the inner vertical plate and to the outer verticalplate.

7. A structure for mounting on a tractor an apparatus provided with aprojecting driven shaft and with a stationary sleeve-like hubsurroundingr the shaft, comprising a platform on which the structure isadapted to rest, a part near one end of the platform for rigidlyattaching the platform to such a tractor, an upright plate rising fromthe platform transverse to the axis of the aforesaid shaft and to thevehicle axis near said end, said upright plate containing a large hole,and a cover plate for the hole bolted to the upright plate, said coverplate having on one side a boss seated in the aforesaid hole and havingon the other side an annular boss adapted to enter the end of saidsleevelike hub, the cover plate containing a hole for the reception ofsaid shaft, and a bearing on said end of the platform registering withthe hole in the cover plate to receive a driving shaft aligned with theaforesaid driven shaft.

8. A structure as set forth in claim 7, wherein the two holes are roundand concentric with each other and with the annular'boss.

9. In combination, a rigid structure adapted to be attached at one endto a vehicle frame, an apparatus resting on said structure inwardly fromsaid end and having a sleeve-like hub with a driven shaft protrudingtherefrom and extending toward said end, a bearing device for a drivingshaft, aligned with the aforesaid shaft, mounted on said structure atsaid end, a transverse vertical plate rising from said structure betweensaid apparatus and said bearing device,

said plate containing a large central opening, a cover member fitted insaid opening and containing a hole through which the driven shaftextends, and a boss on the cover member fitting into the end of the hub.

10. A platform structure for attachment to a vehicle frame, comprising aflat-lying, rigid, U- shaped frame, vertical posts fixed to and risingfrom the free ends of the longitudinal side members of the frame, abox-like structure, including two vertical, transverse walls spacedapart from each other lengthwise of the arms of the U and welded to thelatter and to the posts, said walls containing coaxial openings, meansto secure to the inner of said walls a stationary member adapted to besupported on the platform inwardly from said box-like structure andhaving a driven shaft to project through the opening in the inner wall,and a detachable bearing member in the space within said box-likestructure for supporting an incoming drive shaft in alignment with theaforesaid shaft, said bearing device having a part fitting snugly in theopening in the outer of said walls.

GEORGE L. HART.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

, n UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

